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Seanad
‹ Order of Business

Greek negotiations and structural reform

Summary

Senator D’Arcy supports negotiations, debt restructuring and tax collection in Greece, criticises Varoufakis’s approach, and highlights Ireland’s additional special-needs-assistant posts as an example of reform.

I welcome the fact the Greek Government is still in negotiations to sort out its problems. As the Taoiseach and others in this House have said, at the end of the day it will be solved by negotiation.

I am glad the Greek finance Minister, the communist, has departed because we were not going to get a solution-----

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

Who said he is a communist?

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He said it himself.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

I thank the Senator for information-----

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Paddy Burke An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

Senator D’Arcy without interruption.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

Communism is wonderful.

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Paddy Burke An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

Senator Norris has spoken already.

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It is a noble thing from some people's perspectives. Personally I am glad about the resignation having seen what happened before in communist countries.

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The Senator should ask his Workers Party colleagues about that.

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Paddy Burke An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

Senator D’Arcy should be allowed to speak without interruption and should speak through the Chair.

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In addition to acknowledging the need for a structural rearrangement of the debt, one should please accept that the Greek Government has to collect its taxes. There must be structural reform also. Rather than having rhetoric, there has to be a little understanding that one cannot get one thing without doing another. For example, today the Irish Minister for Education and Skills announced an additional 610 SNA posts to complement the 220 allocated in 2014 for 2015. That makes for a total of 830 SNA posts.

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Owing to necessary structural reforms, we are now able to start in a cohesive, strategic, sustainable way to cater for everybody in this country.

I wish the Greeks well in their negotiations. Greece is a wonderfully historic country. The Greek people have intimated that they want to stay in the eurozone and the European Union. I would ask-----

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

For a debate. Let us have a full debate.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

He assented.

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